I.D.E.A Creative Brief

East Village IDEA District

The IDEA District has struggled with homelessness, structural abandonment, and overall blight for years. With the new additions of the baseball field, the library, and resurgence in the San Diego downtown culture, the IDEA village is hoping to follow suit and create an inspired space to which young thinkers will flock.

David Malmuth and Pete Garcia founded I.D.E.A Partners to continue their work of engineering art-inspired spaces. Their vision for the district is for it to be a bustling environment for creative minds to come together to fuse design and technology, shape the future of the San Diego area, and push modern thinking to its limits.

Their urban design vision is for the community to be the following: transparent, an ever-collaborative workspace where any idea is a shared idea; a synthesis of old and new, updating the current architecture instead of throwing it out; ever-evolving, always one step ahead of the most recent developments in design and technology; abundant with a variety of spaces, to encourage earthy interaction in the working professional’s world; a living laboratory, in which connection, collaboration, and collision are the norm; sustainable, to preserve the current environment and further its prosperity; and hyper-local and international, cherishing the San Diego community but emerging as a “power city” in the world view.

This new district must be irresistible to the creative class. Those that think creatively are not easily confined into one demographic; though the millennial generation is sure to be the group most attracted to this type of community. Age will range from 20 – 35, with varying income and education. The common thread through the area’s newcomers will be the excitement behind new thoughts and the drive to work creatively as a living. Young creative minds do their best thinking with others, either in an office, coffee shop, bar, or public place. Movement is critical to the creative process, the ordinary is lethal.

The core thought of the I.D.E.A district: the intersection of design and technology.

Keywords: innovation, design, education, art, enchanted objects.

Kit Hinrichs

"The most important thing I do is tell stories"
- "interesting to make a living doing what you love to do.
- a library in an office!
*@issue*
"Pushpin?" Lubalin, Glaser
- The people who have influenced th rest of your life usually happen in your 20s - 30s
- First partnet - Europ & California - Russel & Hinrichs
- "My biography is in the beard"
- Emotional value of typography comes from seeing it everywhere - dollar bill type example
- "People like to look at other people. I think that is a human trait that you can't walk away from."
   - how can I make this different than just anoher face?
- The smallest design conference int he world - sit-downs with Pentagram partners
- muzak: all the changes had already been made, but designers come in and change how the company views themselves and others view the company.
- "thing that a single person did out of the psirit of their country" - how it's executed, quality of expression
*look up patriotic flag book*
- @issue: common ground between client and designer
   - success from business and design
*look up FedEx in @issue*
- "they trust you to do what is best for them"

EVID (East Village IDEA District) Presentation notes

- The idea district in East Village; also retail, ballpark...
- Dream-focus on 93 blocks of idea district
- connect, collaborate, collide
- innovation, design, education, art
- "intersection of design & technology"
- inside out:
   - buildings become transparent
   - able to see what others are doing
- old and new:
   - all different types of buildings - authenticity mix of rehabilitated and new
- design - constantly moving forward: it's ok for everything not to be perfect.
   - no new idea is ever complete
   - lighting can create a completely new environment
   - impermanent architecture
- silo: 15h and F, Maker's Quarter
   - "tactical urbanism" - vocabulary for signage
- enchanted objects: making orcinary things extraordinary
   - useful, magical, think of things that haven't been thought of before
- living laboratory: a place where you're allowed to fail
- part community organizers, part real estate developers
- interaction > shelter
- magic incorporated into signage
- sustainability: create a downtown job cluster
   - brind jobs to the places where people want to live
- attract the best and brightest
- uniquely San Diego (old town, balboa park...)
   - hyper-local & international: your hometown but second to none
   - buildings on things that are already created, make it individual to SAn Diego
- Walking into idea district: all senses stimulates - "downtown meets cirque du soleil"
- Dream: program you just implement, don't have to ask permission
    - "guerrilla signage campaign"
- Think about fun things! You look at it and smile
- The anti-master plan
- How do we cretae things tha tmake you want to be involved?
* RADlabsSD.com*
- The courtyard - tactical urbanism
*Urban discovery academy*
- Different because it's serving a larger idea
- old school & generic will fail
*alibaba*
- taps into trend, but also moves it forwards.
- "put yourself in a place where talent wants to be"
- how is your product being used by real people
- so non-objectionable that it's objectionable
- true creativity - not stealing other ideas
- more specific = more universal
- Colosseum, jerry's garage
- Bay to Park connection - the scavenger hunt
   - urban art trail
- fault line parks!
- five senses that you enter into the idea district.

           C street

11th                    17th

           Market


Preliminary sketch ideas: 

Handbook: Pages 1-80

Handbook: Pages 1-20

Key takeaways:
- Great client projects come with great design, obviously, but also with the ability to "describe problems effectively and envision winning solutions." Describing problems is something upon which I need to improve, because it is only when you understand the problem that you can correctly solve it. 
- An initial client meeting should involve the following: "solution fees, usage, and contract terms." The sooner the better with these issues.
- The differences between design firms and studios are becoming fewer and fewer... athough these descriptions still apply: a design firm is usually "thought of as a larger organization" that offers a "full range of graphic design services," but a studio is smaller in size. 
- "After an illustrator is selected, the art buyer and the illustrator are mutually responsible for negotiating the purchase of usage rights from the illustrator as well as the budget, schedule, trafficking, and invoicing of each assignment."
- A new concept I never considered: an artist's representative or broker. I've never been that great at negotiating money and finding jobs for my paper illustrations, so this could be a good setup. This is  cost-effective because "representatives are compensated only when they find work for their clients" meaning it's in the best interest for the representative to work as hard as I do!
- Over and over I'm seeing that an artist's work is really only a fraction of their profession. The "meat" of the talent is in the concept: "Clients must often judge design talent based on such intangibles as perceptions of the designer's presentation and the designer's ability to effectively communicate an understanding of the client's needs and objectives." 
- Branching off from the previous bullet point, the Handbook describes what should be contained within a Request for Proposal (RFP, learned something new!) or design brief: Background, audience, objectives, vehicle, look and feel, specifications, time frame, preliminary schedule, other questions, and proposal review criteria.
- Designers "use initial meetings and research to understand the client's objectives," "determine the target audience, desired response, and the overall effect to be achieved," and define limitations such as "budget and deadlines and all the elements they will provide, such as text, photographs, artwork, or charts."
- We define our rates as a service, rather than a product, so the cost of the finished product should be calculated by its value, our gut instinct, as well as time input into the project.
- Important: "Before exploring any design directions, the designer reviews his or her findings with the client to make sure they agree."
- Useful resources for getting "discovered" Altpick.com, directoryofillustration.com, and workbook.com/illustration
- Juried shows can be found here: www.aiga.org/aiga-annual, www.commarts.com, and printmag.com/article/regional-design-annual 


Pages 22-40

This section was a little dry, but very important and necessary.
Key takeaways:
-"Copyright is separate from the physical art and is sold separately. State laws in New York and California require the transfer of the original, physical art to be in writing."
-"If artists license, rather than transfer rights, they will be able to take advantage of any value the work may have in the future."
-"There are two distinct copyrights: the individual copyright of the contributors and the copyright to the collective work of the publisher, which covers the selection and arrangement of the articles and contents, but not the contents itself."
- The way to format a copyright: "Copyright or (C); the year of the first publication; and the name of the corporation or the artist's name."
- Prima facie: a good reason for registering your copyright. In this instance, "the burden is on the infringer to disprove the copyright's validity, rather than on the artist to prove that the copyright is valid."
- Related unpublished works can be registered as a cluster under a single title, for one fee. "It is more economical for an artist to register all images for a job, including rough sketches, as an unpublished collection for one fee as soon as finals are submitted to the client"
- I thought it was interesting that in California, the heirs to a celebrity or personality control the rights to their publicity for 50 years after death, with the exception of "fine art"
- Exceptions to the right of publicity: "First, the image must bear some reasonable relation to the content of the article. Second, the article must concern a matter of legitimate "public interest," which can be pretty much anything as long as it's not a well-hidden ad.
- Transformative artwork means it's perceives as "primarily the artist's own expression rather than the subject's likeness."
- Moral rights: "inherent personal rights of creators in their works, even after the works have been sold or the copyright transferred." (yay!)
  "1. The right to protect the integrity of their work to prevent any modification, distortion, or mutilation that would bee prejudicial to their honor or reputation.
   2. The right of attribution (or paternity) to insist that their authorship be acknowledges properly and to prevent use of their names on works they did not create.
   3. The right of discolure to decide if, when, and how a work is presented to the public.
   4. The right of recall to withdraw, destroy, or disavow a work if it is changed or no longer represents their views."
- VARA - The visual artists rights act covers visual arts, and there are consequences if an action by someone "would be prejudicial to the artist's reputation," or if it is of "recognized stature."
- Droit de suite: "grants creators a share int he value of their works by guaranteeing a certain percentage of the sale price every time a work is resold."
- It is important to keep a reproduction-quality version of your artwork on file, in case of any licensing or copyright issues.

Burn Your Portfolio

Burn: Pages 1-20

 

I was surprised how down to earth and straightforward the author is. Janda rarely talks about the work within a person's skill set, but rather focuses on the outward difficulties of being a designer. His story starts off like many young people's: fresh out of college, ready to take on the world, and quickly finding out that it's not the breeze he expected it to be. The "be nice to everyone" resonated with me, because I try to be as nice as possible, though it can be difficult at times. He gave me the encouragement to keep on keepin' on! 

Burn: Pages 21 - 41

This section of the book hit home for me. Through recent changes in employment, and the uncertainty that brings, I've found my attitude slowly changing from ever-positive, to realist, to near-pessimist. The "Gripes go up," "Stress Bucket," and "Two types of Grandpas" chapters reminded me that this is probably just a valley in life's ever-changing sway from peak to valley. Attitude really is everything, or at least a large portion of it. The chapters in this section highlight that, and will be a good reminder going forward that life can't always be perfect.

Burn: Pages 42 - 60

To me, this section is about using the valuable resources that you have at your disposal. Whether that be people, technology, knowledge, whatever, there's always something around you that will help you grow. Your work will reflect these extra contributions. Janda is inspiring the reader to be accountable for their time and work ethic, and do what they must to be the best that they possibly can. Because there really will always be someone better than you at something.

Burn: Pages 61 - 80

Work ethic. It cannot be replaced, faked, or "short cutted." In design, there is a clear connection between the amount of effort you put into a project, and the outcome. Usually, this equates to time as well. There's a quote floating around out there that basically says this: "The details aren't the details, they make the design." This could not be more true. The second you start cutting corners, that's the same second that you will lose respect from your client and other designers. You build your design reputation through the details. Without hard work, there would be no good design. 

Burn: Pages 81 - 101

One quote that I've been thinking on since I read it in the book - "The faster you work, the more you make." When considering taking a short break to surf the web, get a snack, anything, I can head Janda's voice in my head. I have a big problem with procrastination, and it usually blows up in my face if I don't constantly keep it under control. I have t remind myself, to the point of annoyance, that the work has to get done; so, it might as well get done now. This section of the book is a continuation of "best practices" in the design working phase. Little tips and tricks to help you be more efficient, faster, and of higher quality. 

Burn: Pages 102 - 123 

This section delves deeper into Janda's tips for design success. It is clear that organization is key, as well as consistency. If I don't start now, when my project flow is generally pretty light, when will I have time to organize once I become more established? Never. Now is the time for this type of management. 

Burn: Pages 124 -150

I.D.E.A. District website research

 Website Notes

"We define talent as the highly educated, highly mobile 24-35 year-olds"
"they are targeting where they want to live as a key ingredient in their job selection criteria"

Section 1: San Diego's Response to a Global Challenge
“Business leaders from innovative companies told us that they liked to locate their companies near world-class research institutions.”
"companies that trade in ideas"
"to change the perception of the District from blighted to emerging, a visionary corporate leader is required."

Section 2: Market Perspective
"Housing in a wide variety of forms and price points including student and artist housing and new models of supportive housing for the homeless"

Section 3: Urban Design - Uniquely San Diego
"revitalize the urban core"
"no net job growth in downtown in 20 years"
Danger of turning into a "vertical bedroom community"
"Does it further enhance the innovation ecology that is at the very core of the I.D.E.A. District? Does it create a rich and varied social and physical environment? In short, does it help to grow more ideas per square foot?" 
Inside out
"Smart people want to see what other smart people are doing"
Old and new
 "Older spaces are well-suited for adaptive reuse, while new development should follow this philosophy, providing flexible, loft-like space for tenants"
Never complete: Ever-evolving
"reinvention at every turn"
A variety of community spaces
"create a unique urban setting without sacrificing its relationship to the natural environment"
Living laboratory
"manageable rent and flexible space to brainstorm, fabricate, and collaborate"
Sustainability
"urban agriculture, such as community gardens, edible landscaping, and farmers’ markets, advance the “farm-to- table” movement"
Uniquely San Diego
 !!"the dominant attitude of the built environment in the District should be to let in the maximum amount of light and air"!!
"the walls to literally disappear"
"blurring the distinction between what is inside and what is outside"
 Hyperlocal and International
"local retailers and restaurants should have a strong presence"
"An international business leader in design+technology could be both a customer and potential mentor for smaller local firms"

Inspiration 

 

Moodboard || Take 2

 Here's the physical moodboard I made for my Quilling brand. The picture is a little weak on the thin text detail, so I've included a couple extra references for type treatment. Definitely inspired by the whimsical and delicate qualities of art nouveau. And would you look at that "Higher ground" typeface? Absolutely gorgeous!

Salk Institute: Max Escobedo

Salk Institute

Jonas Salk - discovered polio vaccine, university of Pittsburg
   - mayor of San Diego was a polio survivor - unanimously decided to offer Salk the land
- relationship with Louis Kahn - architect
   - "if you don't know where you're going, you'll find someone who will tell you where to go"
      - cross-pollenation: different scientists interacting 
- all surfaces raw, no paint or polish
- 6 story building, but 3 are used for storage and piping
   - natural light
- don't look for a specific field when hiring, look for people doing interesting things
- no matter what they do here, it doesn't matter if it isn't communicated effectively

Design dept. consists of:
- videographer
- photographer
- illustrator
- two designers
- old school graphic artist
- full team of writers and editors, web

- everyone is working toward getting published in medical magazines
- institute runs on events